he had tried, really
by snowkofi
Summary: Reigen goes on a job alone when Mob feels a little under the weather. Everything goes downhill from there, but then it gets better. Reigen can deal with spirits, even if he isn't an esper. (Updates are slow, sorry yall)
1. Chapter 1

It had started when he had first met Mob. He had told himself that he wouldn't get attached to the boy, however Reigen couldn't help the growing affection that had sprouted for the kid. Sometimes, he felt the urge to just shield Kageyama Shigeo from the world, because honestly? The kid deserved so much better, deserved someone else other than the dubious con man, however Reigen couldn't help but want to stay friends (If they were even that).

Today Reigen had work, although he had given Mob the day off, for he had sustained an injury in their last exorcism (mostly due to Reigen, he didn't realize that having a cold would make him sluggish), and although his injuries were minor, Reigen didn't have the heart to force him to work today. Rest would be good for him.

He was only scheduled to meet one client today, however he doubted that there would be any spirits involved. The email he had received informed him of a possible spirit inhabiting a building, however the sender claimed they couldn't leave the room due to the danger of the ghost.  
Although it seemed suspicious, whoever sent the message was willing to pay a large sum for an exorcism, and despite Reigen knowing that he was in fact not an esper, he planned to visit the building to see if it was really a spirit.

There was no problem if it was, Reigen would just call Mob and see if he had any free time to help. And if there weren't any spirits, well, he could just solve whatever problem was occurring inside the house.

Grabbing his essentials, Reigen headed over to the address sent to him, noticing that they were in the quiet part of town, and eyed the structure in front of him. He made note of the cracked steps leading to the doorway, and saw that it looked like a normal, if not old, house.

Upon entering the house, Reigen immediately noticed the damp air, and the absence of light inside. There was a certain coldness seeping into the man's skin, however that did not prevent sweat from rolling down his neck. Using his phone light, Reigen gently called out to see if anyone was there, however only received the soft whispers of a draft entering the room. Turning on his phone light, he jumped as a sudden tapping sound filled his senses, and he looked around, looking for the source.

He admitted that this was starting to spook him, however the wood chips and beads of blood splattered on the floor did assure him that there was someone here, although it wasn't exactly a comfort.

In this moment of realization, Reigen slipped in a pool of blood and fell, and although he reached out his hands to catch himself, he didn't quite anticipate the  
(Whatever was on the floor) from slamming into his face, effectively causing a stream of blood to trickle down from his nose.

"Ah, hell…."  
Reigen got up and, ignoring his scraped up palms, wiped his nose and picked up the box he had hit himself against. It was black, with broken seals haphazardly slapped onto the top, along with some of his blood smeared onto them. The seals were not unlike his own, which were currently in his pocket, although he wasn't sure if they'd be any use in a situation involving spirits.

Now, Reigen wasn't an idiot.  
He knew that all of this added up meant the high probability of a spirit, and even though it was probably dangerous for him to be there, he really needed the money.

So when he heard the sounds of groans coming from the bathroom, he couldn't just ignore them.

Well, he could have, but what kind of role model would he be if he did?

He stepped towards the door, and being the type of person he was, he opened it rather suddenly, jumping as a startled yell came from inside.

It was only a man cowering in the corner, bleeding heavily.  
Well, that was better than an evil spirit, Reigen mused.

"Hey, are you the client that e-mailed me?"  
The man looked up, an expression of relief spread upon his face as he saw Reigen.

"Oh, um, yes…. Thank you for coming…"  
He took a deep breath and, clutching his side, stood up, swaying in place.  
The man looked weary, and just as Reigen was about to ask if he needed any help, he shuddered, spine straightening, taking on a more relaxed pose.

"I take it since you're here, the spirit must be gone for now…."  
Reigen offered his shoulder for the man to lean on, and he continued speaking, a faint smile on his lips.

"I'll come by your office later to pay you for rescuing me… Ah, but you don't have to take care of the ghost, it probably left to go torture some other soul…"

Reigen didn't really object to this, after all, he could always just come back with Mob to make sure there really was no ghost anymore, and plus, he was getting a little hungry.  
He didn't want to ask why the man was bleeding.

"Well, alright, if you insist. Let's go then."

The man put his hand on Reigen's shoulder and smiled, gripping him firmly.  
And then the pair left.

Reigen opened his emails and checked his messages lazily, a dull ache in his shoulder.

"Did you recently purchase 20 pounds of salt on-"  
"Try our new product, sure to-"  
"BEWARE! Watch your community-"  
"Your blood makes me want to-"  
"Can you please take better care of my brother? Because he came home and-"

Reigen began to delete them until he noticed the fourth one, looking unsettled as he read it.  
Someone had sent him a message about wanting to eat his flesh, detailing what they had "yearned" to do to him. Of course, he was creeped out, (who wouldn't be?), however he looked at his last message and felt his stomach drop.  
It was from Mob's little brother, not-so politely asking him to stop hanging around Mob.  
He usually wouldn't be so anxious about Ritsu, however he still felt guilty about his injuries, so he wasn't entirely wrong.

Rubbing his shoulder, Reigen groaned in discomfort, an odd weight settling into him.  
He heard the chime of the door opening, and looked up to see a man, his earlier client.

The man smiled, eying Reigen, who was still seated.

"Hey, I've come to clear my debt~"  
Pulling out a practiced smile, Reigen agreed, and soon they both settled with an acceptable price. The man never stopped grinning, and Reigen noted that he looked ecstatic, as if he were getting a present on his birthday.

"Well, it was a pleasure doing buisness with you….  
Oh yes, and Reigen?"

The man paused at the door, casting an unreadable glance back at Reigen.

"Take care of that shoulder, okay?"  
Reigen felt a bitter shiver go through his spine.

The next morning, when Reigen woke up, he vaguely noticed the overbearing pressure on his neck, coming to the conclusion that he was coming down with something.  
Perhaps the dust in that house had gotten to him.

Upon arriving at his office (after spending an hour trying to get up), Reigen glanced at the time and noted that Mob would be arriving in a few minutes, so naturally he began to brew some tea. It was winter, and the chilly mornings only made Reigen worry about his student's health.

Hearing the door open, he looked up to see a troubled Mob entering the room, his eyes fixated upon the ground.

"Oh, good morning Mob."  
"Mm. Morning."

Mob looked up at Reigen, and he couldn't help but notice the flash of concern written upon the kid's face, however it quickly disappeared and was replaced with his usual stoic expression.

Reigen noticed that something was bugging his student, and although they sat down and nursed their tea, Mob didn't seem as if he were going to start talking anytime soon.  
So Reigen asked first.

"Hey, Mob? Something on your mind?"

The boy flushed, somewhat ashamed that his concerns were too obvious, even if he were trying not to show it.

"Ah, well… Can I ask you a question?"  
Mob looked up at his teacher again and seemed to stare through him, as if seeing some invisible thing that no one else could see.

"Hm? Sure Mob, what's up?"  
Reigen was hoping that the question wasn't a hard one, mostly because whenever he didn't know how to answer a question, he pulled answers out of his ass and hoped they would suffice.  
Usually, he didn't have to resort to that. (Usually.)

"Well… If I ever see a spirit that's not doing any harm, should I leave it be?"

Reigen grinned, not missing a beat.  
"Mob, if you think it's not doing anything, then leave it. But if it looks dangerous, make sure you call me, okay?"

The boy nodded, shoulders relaxing slightly.  
"Ah, thank you shishou… What if I see someone with a spirit and it's harming them without their knowledge though? Should I still call you?"

Mob stared at Reigen, eyes searching for an answer.

"Oh… Of course, anytime Mob."

"Shishou."

"Yes Mob?"

"There's a spirit on your shoulder."

"Oh."

Oh.  
Reigen laughed nervously, however he smiled as to not worry his student.

"Must be too weak for me to see, heh…. Although now that you mention it, I do feel a little under the weather…"  
He rubbed his neck and laughed a little, and Mob continued.

"Shishou, should I get rid of it? It's wrapped around your neck…"  
Mob looked anxious, as if he were worried he had overstepped his boundaries.  
So Reigen assured him.

"If you think it's for the best Mob, I can barely feel it though. Thanks."

But he did feel it.  
Reigen didn't want to worry Mob however, not over a little soreness and aches.  
No, he wanted to make sure Mob felt comfortable here, well, as much as possible anyway.

Mob dispelled the spirit, and their day continued on as normal.  
Reigen massaged some clients, and Mob dealt with any spirits that happened to actually exist.  
The day went along smoothly, and when Mob went home after he closed up, Reigen almost forgot about the spirit that Mob got rid of, and believed that his day would end there.

He was, of course, wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

It was late, and Reigen was at home, reading a novel in bed. He was planning on going to bed soon, however something felt off, so he waited for the feeling to pass before closing his eyes. Well, that was what he had planned to do, however a rapt knocking at his door disrupted his thoughts.

Grumbling, Reigen got up and groggily shuffled to the door, dulfully hoping that whoever at the door wasn't important, mostly because he was still in his striped pajamas.

"Yes? What do you want?"

There was a stranger at the door, a grin plastered upon his scruffy face. There wasn't anything that caught his eye about the man, other than the vacant smile that was plastered upon his face, however something about him was giving Reigen the chills.

He felt a shiver run through him, and decided that he didn't like this man.

"Ah, I had a question for you sir!"

The stranger at the door continued to smile, however a flicker of malice shone through his eyes for a split second.

He continued, eyes not leaving Reigen.

"You see, I was wondering how you got rid of that curse I placed around you, since you're not even an esper."

The man's face gave off an air of danger, and Reigen subconsciously took a step back, confused about his implications.

"Wait, who are you? And how did you know where I live?"

Reigen regained his composure and stood in his doorway, trying to figure out where he had met the man standing before him.

"Me? Oh, I'm just the spirit you released from that house, remember?

I even payed you for your troubles."

The man took a step forward, grinning a little darkly.

"Now tell me, how did someone like you remove my curse?"

Reigen didn't even notice when the man had entered his home, but since he did, he had no choice but to follow him inside, albeit unhappily. He tried to reason with the man.

"Hey, listen, whoever you are... You can't just enter homes without the owner's permission, that's rude, and illegal to say the least. And,"

Reigen paused, pointing a finger at his home intruder.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you're probably too weak to sense my powers."

The man snorted, eyeing Reigen as he boldly asserted his psychic status.

"Yeah, right. Yap all you want, there's nothing you can do to stop me from doing this."

Reigen was sure there was no way to safely get out of the current situation.

In hindsight, he should have never opened the door, and he should have realized how unnatural the man's gaze looked as it bore through him, however it was a little too late to worry about that now. But still, he tried.

"Stop you from doing what? I'm sure we could work something out if we just ta-"

It was too late to think about anything, really. He didn't know why he had tried to stop this in the first place, but in an instant he was against the wall, the man's hands slamming into his windpipe, and as he fought to escape his grip, his lungs ached for the sweet taste of oxygen.

Oxygen he was losing fast.

But he didn't cry, or try to get his attacker to take pity. He just glared, but that didn't seem to be a good idea either, it actually seemed to piss him off even more.

"Hey, Reigen. Do you want to choke, or bleed out?"

The direct question made Reigen shudder with anticipation, the iron grip of the ghost holding him firmly in place. For once, he was at a loss for words.

"I-I… Neither?"

Reigen was punched in the gut, knocking the wind he had only just regained back out. He usually had faith in his ability to deter any possible threats, however he mused, today was just not his day. Maybe he needed a good luck charm.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

Reigen was trying to breathe, but suddenly there were hands around his throat again, squeezing, and the man's smile never left, as if mocking him.

He could only struggle as he was shoved to the floor, vision wavering as a sharp pang was jabbed into his thigh. He tried to take in a breath, but nothing was working right.

Stars and blackness started to fill his senses, only a dull ache reminding him that he was, in fact, alive. He dimly wondered why this spirit was killing him, but left the thought go after a second.

He couldn't think.

But then he was released, and he was a fish out of water, gasping for air.

"Tch. You didn't tell me you had friends around, Reigen."

The assailant backed away, a scowl fixated upon his face. Or rather, whoever's body's face he was using for the time.

"I'll be back."

Reigen didn't know that such cheesy lines could chill someone to the bone, however it seemed as if he still had new things to learn every day.

"Friends" turned out to be a lone ghost wandering near Reigen's apartment, curiosity bringing him to the area. Dimple had noticed the presence of a powerful spirit, and it's aurora increased as he got closer to the building. It felt dangerous, making him grimace.

He got close to the window to see if he could make out who it was, however it suddenly disappeared as he did, leaving him with a sense of disappointment and confusion.

Well, it was confusion, however Dimple took one glimpse of Reigen on the floor, shaking, and felt a pang of bitter concern. He tried to tell himself that he was probably tired or something, but Dimple really couldn't just ignore him. He looked as if he were in shock.

Floating through the wall, Dimple cautiously made his way to Reigen, taking note of the way he rubbed his neck, arms softly trembling.

"Oi, what happened to you…?"

Flinching, Reigen's head snapped upward, a front of sudden caution appearing in his face.

"W-What, DImple? Nothing, I, ah, um… Why are you here…?"

Dimple didn't miss his stutter, however he chose not to acknowledge it, for his friend seemed shaken at the moment.

"Oh, thought I'd just drop in for a while.."

There was a moment of tense silence, and at first, Dimple thought Reigen was done talking, however he soon realized that he had fallen asleep.

Dimple silently slipped into his body and put Reigen to bed, not having the heart to wake him up.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shishou, are you okay? There's another spirit attached to you…."

Mob looked at Reigen as he came in for work, the day being slow and quiet.

"Ah, I'm fine Mob… You can get rid of it if you want, I don't mind either way…"

Reigen didn't really want to tell Mob about what had happened, because it wasn't really any of his concern. Sure they were friends, but the kid didn't need the burden. Besides, he could deal with it himself. Well, probably.

Mob silently dispelled the spirit, staring at Reigen with unreadable eyes once he was finished. Reigen decided to ignore him, instead putting on some tea for them. Dimple wasn't happy.

"Hey, Reigen, what the hell happened?"

Once they were out of Mob's earshot, Dimple interrogated Reigen with an air of irritation, while Reigen loosed his tie.

"Dimple, be quiet, I don't know what you're talking about…."

Reigen lightly traced his fingers along his neck, shivering at his friend's question.

"Oi, you know what I'm talking about. I'm sure even Mob knows something's wrong, did you even look in the mirror today?"

Dimple floated in front of Reigen, scoffing in an attempt to get his friend to see reason.

"Actually, no…. Why? Do I really look that bad?"

In all honestly, Reigen hadn't had the energy to properly get ready for the day, so hearing Dimple criticize his appearance came as a shock.

So he looked in the mirror.

"Oh."

Reigen's neck was covered in splotches of deep purple and blue, the hand prints of a stranger wrapped on his skin in ugly patches. Even with his tie, it was very much noticeable.

He wondered absently why Mob hadn't said anything, but then vaguely remembered that Mob had come in with similar bruises before, and Reigen hadn't asked him the details about it.

"Yeah, like I said, they're bad dude."

Dimple glared at Reigen, however his gaze softened a bit as he continued.

"Listen, last night, when you passed out…. I possessed you, and.. Well, are you sure you don't need a break? "

Reigen frowned, waving his hand in the air.

"No, I'm fine Dimple… You can stay over tonight though, if you want…"

Reigen and Dimple headed back out into the room Mob was in, tea in both of Reigen's hands.

Dimple looked to be in high spirits, so Mob asked him about it.

"Dimple, you look happy. What happened?"

Mob tilted his head curiously as Dimple grinned.

"Reigen finally invited me over to his house. Willingly, might I add."

"Ah. Good for you."

Mob really meant what he said, however his deadpan expression still made Dimple smile.

He whispered something into the spirit's ear, and then bowed a little after Dimple nodded.

"Shishou, I'm going to go work on my homework. Thank you for the tea."

Mob went over to his desk area and started doing his homework, so Dimple nudged Reigen as he started editing more photos.

"Hey, dude. Look inside your right drawer."

Reigen sighed, looking down and frowning a bit.

"There is no drawer there…"

Dimple rolled his eyes, pointing at the right drawer, in contrast to the left side of the desk Reigen was staring at.

"I said right… Are you sure you're okay?"

There was a brief silence, and then Reigen reluctantly opened the drawer. He was kind of tired, and as he glanced down into the compartment, he noticed a small container inside.

He blinked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dimple, how did you manage to sneak foundation in here?"

"Why do you automatically blame me…."

Dimple rolled his eyes, and looked a little proud.

"It was Mob. He told me to tell you that you can cover your bruises a little with that... "

There was a moment of silence, and Reigen looked uncomfortable.

Why hadn't I ever asked him who had done that to him?, Reigen thought to himself. Dimple knew what he was thinking, but how could he explain that the boy who had almost killed Mob was now one of his close friends? How could he explain that Mob had actually passed out during the fight? How could he explain that he had almost died trying to stop their fight?

He couldn't, so nothing was said, and Reigen silently pocketed the makeup given to him, resigned but determined to use it later. He didn't know that he'd later end up using all of it though.

"So, is this a sleepover?"

Dimple grinned as Reigen unlocked his front door, opening it as he stepped inside.

"No, we're not kids Dimple. We're just two people, hanging out, overnight. You don't even have a body." Reigen rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him, locking it as Dimple laughed.

"Well, do you want me to go get one? Because I could totally do that."

He winked suggestively, and Reigen had to stifle a chuckle.

"Dimple, don't steal someone's body for the sole benefit of a sleepover."

Scolding him, Reigen put his bag down in his room and then headed into the kitchen, Dimple following close by.

"But-" Dimple began, however he was quickly interrupted.

"No." Reigen started boiling some water, and got out a pack of instant ramen. He was hungry, and he didn't really feel like passing out just yet. That could wait.

Shivering, Reigen poured the water into the cup of ramen and closed the lid, putting his fork over it to let it heat up. Dimple was talking about something trivial, however Reigen welcomed the background noise, since he really didn't feel like sitting in silence right now.

He really didn't feel like doing anything right now to be honest, however he also didn't want Dimple to feel any sympathy towards him. Maybe the spirit would forget about him, and then what had happened would just become a distant memory. A dream.

There was a knock at the door, and Reigen almost spilled his ramen in surprise.

Dimple raised an eyebrow, however he went to see who was at the door.

It was the mailman, and his presence wouldn't be questionable if it were a normal hour.

But right now, it was late, and this made Dimple mildly suspicious.

"Hey, Reigen, are you expecting mail?"

"Uh, no. You should let the mailman in though, if he's here."

"Dude. I can't."

"Oh, yeah, right. Hold on."

Reigen got up and unlocked the door, signing the clipboard that the man held.

"Here's your package. Have a nice night sir."

Dimple stared at the open box, mouth open slightly with disbelief.

Reigen couldn't bear to see the contents again, so instead he was pacing around the couch, muttering under his breath. Dimple finally spoke up, genuine curiosity inflected in his voice.

"What the hell did you mess with?"

In the box were various pictures of Mob, all taken without him knowing. A note lay on top of the stack, however Reigen hadn't read it yet. He was too nervous to. Dimple however already had, and without waiting, began to recite it aloud.

"Dear Reigen,

I hope you're doing well. It's a shame we couldn't finish our fun from the other night.

If you want your beloved friend to stay safe, meet me at the place where we met. Tomorrow, in the evening. Don't tell anyone about this, or else I'll kill the kid, alright dear? And please, do show up alone. I don't want someone interrupting our little chat. Don't worry, you won't die, at least, you shouldn't.

\- Your not so secret admirer"

Dimple looked at Reigen.

"No, seriously, did you seriously get yourself tangled with a spirit that also happens to be a stalker? I mean, I'm sure Shigeo could kill it relatively easily, but dude, come on."

Reigen was quiet, and then he looked up at Dimple, eyes stern.

"There's no way I'm dragging Mob into this, it's my problem."

Dimple rolled his eyes.

"Reigen, he's being stalked. I'm pretty sure he has the right to know…"

Reigen ignored him, and continued,

"I'm going to go, okay Dimple? I'll take some charms with me…"

"Dude, no."

Dimple got in front of Reigen, and crossed his arms.

"If you're going, I'm going too. I can't just let you walk into a trap… Well, I could, but Shigeo would get mad at me if he found out. Besides, I could always just possess you."

Reigen snorted, smiling a little.

"Dimple, that's a great idea and all, but you really don't have to. Just tell Mob that I got into a fight.

Also, make sure you tell him that he should definitely avoid those."

Reigen wasn't sure if he wanted to actually confront this spirit, but he couldn't just let Mob get into his personal affairs. Maybe Dimple could defeat him by himself.

"...Okay, yeah, you can possess me. But only for this, alright?"

Dimple grinned, flashing Reigen a smile and two thumbs up.

"I thought you'd never ask."


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh god, Reigen what the fuck."

Dimple was currently staring at the broken box with broken seals that Reigen had accidentally fell onto earlier. He was currently inside Reigen's body.

"Jesus dude, you even got your blood on it. No wonder that thing's attracted to you."

Reigen rolled his eyes and continued walking, unsure of where exactly he was supposed to go.

"Whatever Dimple, it's not like it was on purpose… Besides, it was a good pay."

"Reigen."

"I know, sorry, my bad…"

He looked around the house for a few minutes and then stopped, thinking to himself.

"Hey, Dimple. If someone gets possessed unwillingly while they're still awake, do they do anything weird with their body? Like, uh, shuddering or something?"

"Well, I guess so, yeah. I'm usually so powerful that no one can resist me coming, but that sounds pretty accurate to me."

"Yeah, right."

Reigen recalled that they may have met in the bathroom, at least, from what he could remember.

He wasn't the best at memorizing certain events.

"Alright…"

Arriving at the bathroom, Reigen dimly noted that the door was already open, and that there were some strange devices on the sink counter. Dimple was yelling something in his head.

"Reigen, watch out-!"

Something smashed against the back of his skull, and before he could register Dimple asking if he were okay, blacked out, the feeling of someone catching him lost inside the engulfing waves of unconsciousness.

Reigen was out, which meant that Dimple had full control. Usually, he'd be ecstatic about that, however the current situation was enough to dampen his spirits.

He was being held by that spirit, who was possessing a rather strong body.

Dimple couldn't deny that Reigen had a pretty fit body, but he wasn't exactly sure if it were up to par against this one.

"Oh? Still awake? Maybe I didn't hit you hard enough…."

The spirit chuckled, however before Dimple could earn his bearings, he was thrown into a chair, and blindfolded.

"Well, geez , you don't waste any time."

Reigen's voice was dripping with Dimple's sarcasm, so he wasn't too surprised when he was slapped across the cheek. The stinging sensation warned him to be careful with this body, Reigen's body, so he decided to hold his tongue.

Dimple felt hands on his wrists, so he pulled them away, not wanting to be tied down by anyone.

"Feeling a little more fiesty now, aren't you?"

Dimple yelped as his hair was wrenched back, kicking his legs to get the spirit away from him.

Not like he knew where the dammed guy was, but he still had to try.

His foot landed on something that felt a lot like a knee, and Dimple heard muffled cursing.

He was about to give the spirit another kick when something was pressed to his abdomen, and a hiss filled his ears.

"If you so much as move another inch , I'm not the one who'll be crying in pain, got it , Reigen? "

Oh.

Oh.

Dimple immediately stopped, one thought racing through his head.

There's a gun being held to Reigen.

He held his breath and allowed for his hands to be handcuffed, not trusting his words right now. He was sure that this spirit didn't appreciate his sarcasm. He was also sure that he was nothing like Reigen, however it's not like his current captor noticed that. Which was probably good, maybe. Dimple didn't know.

"Now that that's out of the way…"

His voice was coming from Dimple's left, but when he spoke again, it was directly in front of him.

"What do you want to talk about, darling?"

The man tapped his fingers on Reigen's knee, and Dimple had to struggle to not kick him.

"How about you stop following my student around?"

Dimple's hostile reply earned a few chuckles from the spirit, which made him nervous.

"Why should I stop? Don't you think blackmail spices things up a little?"

Dimple could feel Reigen's consciousness start to stir, and stayed silent. He wasn't going to lie , in certain situations, blackmail really was a catalyst, however agreeing with his statement wasn't something he really wanted to do right now.

So he did what any sensible Reigen-possessing spirit would do and turned his head, hopefully away from the man. He really wanted to beat the shit out of him, but he didn't know if he could properly channel any power from Reigen's body. He didn't want to try yet either.

He felt fingers on his shoulder, and tensed up, expecting something to hit him.

Instead, a hand crept inside of his suit, unbuttoning it from the inside.

Dimple shuddered, and growled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The man responded by dragging something cold and metal against his skin, and before Dimple could ask what he was touching him with, his skin was suddenly pierced with an iron nail, causing Reigen to wake up and panic. Dimple let him have control over his body, since it really wasn't his (even if it was a little fun to have feeling of his limbs).

Reigen didn't really know what was going on, however it was clear to him that whoever was hurting him was the one who had bound him to a chair. He licked his lips in apprehension, and then spoke.

"Ah, um, you know you really don't have to do that…"

He dug the iron deeper into Reigen's flesh, making him stifle a gasp.

"You're right, I don't have to… Instead, I'll do this ."

The man suddenly pulled Reigen out of the chair, and shoved him down onto the sink.

There was a blade against the back of his neck, cold and uninviting.

Reigen was sweating again, which didn't really make anything better, however it did allow him to quietly slip one of his hands out of the handcuffs. Dimple internally cheered him on, and asked him permission to control his body for a moment.

Reigen didn't answer right away, as he was too preoccupied with the threat of certain death from a certain someone. But he remained mostly calm and didn't look at the spirit on him, mostly because the blindfold on him was starting to slip off. He'd take any advantage he could get.

Well, most advantages. Reigen admitted to himself that Mob could probably exorcise this guy in two seconds, but that wasn't really any of his business.

"What's wrong Reigen? Scared?"

Dimple was counting the seconds, waiting for the perfect moment.

The spirit leaned in close and stroked his head, grinning as Reigen shivered. He felt hungry eyes on his body, and Reigen wondered what Dimple was waiting for.

Dimple was waiting for when the enemy let his guard down, however he wasn't sure if Reigen would escape completely unscathed. He decided that living was worth a few scrapes.

Well, really, Dimple was specifically thinking about bite marks. He told Reigen to pretend to panic. Although already internally panicking, Reigen complied.

"O-Oh, god, please …. Uh… Don't, um…"

Reigen was trying to finish his sentence, however Dimple provided him with some words, saying them before he could process what was happening.

"Don't eat me, please. . . "

The spirit seemed delighted in his words of desperation, and laughed, digging the switchblade into his back. Reigen cursed at Dimple internally, however stayed still, still willing to trust his plan. The spirit whispered something into his ears.

"I'm going to make you eat your own organs, darling …"

Dimple quickly took control of Reigen's body, and with a bit of concern for his most gracious host, raised his barrier. The spirit shrieked in surprise, and took a few steps away from Reigen. Dimple quickly turned around, and after breaking his handcuffs, glared at the spirit, his blindfold now fallen to the ground in a forgotten heap.

"W- How did you do that..? Unless…"

The spirit, finally realizing his mistake, hissed out a string of curses at Dimple.

"I thought your cheeks looked rather rosy for a cool night like this…. Who are you?"

Reigen internally groaned, knowing Dimple would say something extra.

"Oh, me? I'm the great Dimple, future god , very muscular , super amazing spirit!"

Dimple grinned, getting ready to launch another attack. He kind of really liked Reigen's body, since it was fit enough to move around without too much of a hassle, and it could chanel energy well enough. At least, Dimple hoped it didn't hurt him.

Reigen was still getting used to the feeling of not being in control of his body, but the rare feeling of psychic energy passing through his fingers stung a little, which was weird, but also kind of expected, in a way.

"No matter… Since you broke our deal, I guess I'll just have to practice a little extortion… "

The man pulled out his cellphone and, after a few seconds, snapped it shut, a smile on his face.

Dimple was unsure whether or not he should do something, however the spirit continued speaking, his words making Reigen shudder with disgust.

"I sent some very flattering pictures to your little assistant, so I'm sure he'll be on his way here any moment… Shigeo, right? I'm sure he'd love to walk in on me ripping you to shreds…"

Reigen wasn't sure if Dimple acted first, or if it were himself. A part of his head said both, however he didn't have time to think about that as he swung his fist at the man, concentrated energy in his palm. Neither one of them could stand someone blatantly threatening Mob.

"He won't be walking in on anything, spirit. "


	5. Chapter 5

Mob couldn't sleep, his mind was buzzing with needless ideas and thoughts. So instead, he stared at the moon, which was only partly obscured by clouds. He admired the white of the full moon against the darkness of the sky, the contrast drawing his eyes to the imperfections of the moon.

His phone started buzzing, and against his better judgement, he immediately opened the message, duly wondering why someone was messaging him. It was 10pm, and an unknown number sent an address.

With an attachment.

Without thinking much of it, he opened the message, and then dropped his phone immediately in panic.

He blinked, picking it up again in confusion. For a second, Mob was sure that it was a picture of his master being tortured, but that was a mistake, right ?

Mob looked at the picture again, and felt his stomach drop.

It was an image of Reigen in handcuffs, stuck to a chair. Mob looked at the address again, and thought for a moment. He wasn't entirely sure what this meant, so he wanted to be sure before he left home.

Knocking on his brother's door, Mob held his phone in hand, fidgeting. He hoped that whatever the message meant, it wasn't too serious.

"Niisan, I'm pretty sure this is a trap…."

Ritsu was rubbing his eyes, about to go to sleep. Mob was hovering near his bed, worry starting to take hold.

"But if Shishou's in danger…"

Mob let his sentence trail off, already set on going, while Ritsu sighed, relenting.

"Fine, just be careful, okay? Actually, no, I'm going with you…."

Dimple and Reigen were getting their asses kicked, however it was because Dimple wasn't that strong at the moment, and because the body the malicious spirit was possessing was rather swole. Reigen was considerably weaker than him.

They were now in the kitchen, and Dimple surrounded himself with knives to keep the other away, however he wasn't sure how long that would last. Reigen was starting to feel sick.

"You know, if you let me leave, I won't have to kill you…"

Dimple was obviously bluffing, at least to Reigen, however the other spirit seemed to consider his words for a moment.

"Hmm… Or, I could kill you , and keep Reigen all to myself."

The spirit grinned, getting ready to attack Reigen's body. Dimple was grossed out.

"That's creepy."

Dimple narrowly dodged a knife being aimed towards Reigen's throat, and yelped as he felt his legs being kicked out from under him, crashing to the ground with a wince. Before he could move, there was a pressure below his navel, a warning for him to stop.

The other spirit was stepping on him, a knife being held in the air above his heart. Reigen felt the blade pierce his skin, and laughed a little to himself, thinking about how much a new suit would have to cost him. Dimple gulped, a faint grin on Reigen's body.

And then, suddenly, both spirits felt the presence of an esper, and Dimple immediately knew it was Mob. They heard the door open, and Reigen knew he was in trouble when he heard Ritsu's voice.

"Wow, this place is a dump… Are you sure this is the right place?"

Mob looked at Ritsu, slowly stepping inside, going deeper into the house.

"Yes… Ah."

Mob was looking into the doorway into the kitchen, making eye contact with the evil spirit.

No one moved, and there was a short period of silence as they stared at each other.

Mob had a blank expression on his face, and he chose his words with caution.

"What are you doing….?"

Ritsu peered in behind him, taking in Reigen's injuries and rosey cheeks, and guessed that Dimple was with him. He'd probably be dead by now if he wasn't, Ritsu thought.

The spirit sneered at the children, pushing the knife in Reigen's flesh. He stifled a groan, however this action marked the end of the evil spirit's reign over Reigen. Mob was visibly upset.

He didn't say anything as he raised his hand, and the spirit could barely get out of the way when a ball of energy was shot at him, Mob not hesitating to attack. Ritsu begrudgingly hurried over to where Reigen was, and pulled him up, ignoring the pained expression he gave. Dimple rolled his eyes, but didn't dare leave his body in fear of being accidently exorcised.

Mob had driven the spirit to another room, and while Ritsu was dying to go help him, he was also sure that he was fine , and he also didn't want to leave Reigen alone again.

So he started a conversation.

"Hey, Dimple, or Reigen, whoever's in there right now…. How the hell did you get into something like this?"

Dimple let Reigen answer, not trusting himself to remain serious. He forgot that Reigen used humor as a way to cope.

"Oh, well long story short, I guess I accidentally got a hostile spirit to fall in love with me…"

Ritsu stared at Reigen and blinked, squinting slightly.

Mob then came back into the room, looking less upset.

"Shishou, I got rid of the spirit… Should we leave that man here?"

Dimple, deeming the area safe, exited Reigen's body, grinning despite the gloom.

"I'm pretty sure that guy lives here Shigeo, we should actually probably go before he comes to his senses…. Right Reigen?"

Reigen nodded a little numbly, the sudden absence of Dimple leaving him slightly dazed.

He felt his stomach churn, and vaguely wondered if he was going to vomit. The thought passed as Mob extended a hand to help him up, a hint of concern in his eyes.

"Shishou?"

"I'm coming, sorry Mob…"

He grasped Mob's hand and pulled himself up, avoiding Ritsu's glare.

"Thanks…"

"Oh, shishou? You know that spirit that was bothering you?"

Reigen glanced at his student, unsure of how to respond.

"Um… Yes, Mob, it hasn't even been 24 hours since that happened.."

It was noon, and they were having a lunch break, Dimple hovering over Reigen's shoulder in an attempt to annoy him.

"I forgot to tell you, I think it cursed you in its final moments."

"..."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Reigen shut his eyes and sighed loudly.

"Yeah, okay, thanks Mob."

Dimple looked at Reigen with a hint of concern, and Ritsu, who was sitting with Mob, snorted.

"Just have Dimple live with him, you know he's dying for someone to suggest it."

"Ritsu, shut up."

Dimple glared at Ritsu, not objecting his idea in the slightest. Of course he was thinking it, but the brat didn't have to actually say it out loud…

Mob gave Dimple a thumbs up, and smiled slightly. Reigen groaned.


End file.
